The phase diagram of parallel, charged spherocylinders is computed. The topology of the diagram is found to be similar to the uncharged one, but there are several qualitative changes. Regions of phase coexistence are significantly narrower and positional ordering is stabilized by the electrostatic repulsions. The nematic phase occupies a very narrow zone. We suggest that soft repulsions between surfactant micelles may be responsible for the absence of a nematic phase in most surfactant systems. We also present comparisons with the observed nematic-smectic phase transition for fd and tobacco mosaic virus particles.

• Received 5 November 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.61.6872